The Chromamancer Chronicles
by Hagunemnon
Summary: A mishap with a new spell sees Yukari Sendo unintentionally summoning a young man from another world with a very odd, unique power. Ostensibly stranded in a new world, the Luminary Adept must find a way to come to terms with his situation and his past.
1. Accidental Summons and a Luminary

**The Chromamancer Chronicles**

Chapter One: Accidental Summons and a Luminary

The young man scratched the back of his head and sighed, closing the large, leather-bound tome he'd been reading for the past several hours. Yet another lonely day for this member of the Second Luminary Order. He honestly thought he'd at least make one friend when he joined the Order four years ago as a twelve year-old orphan. As it was, he found himself spending most of his days in the library. Though he did well in his classes, often receiving top grades in his assignments and tests, he couldn't help but feel that he was missing something. Walking through the hall back to his dormitory, he felt the strangest sensation and, looking down, he noticed a pitch-black hole open beneath him and, before he could react, the Adept fell through.

"Look at her," Kurumu said to Yukari as they observed Mizore, hiding in a bush, stalking Tsukune yet again. "Always stalking Tsukune like a lost kitten, what's with her?"

A Cheshire grin found its way onto Yukari's face. "I've got an idea," she said, with a giggle. "I've been working on a new spell and this is the perfect time to test it out! It'll scare the crap out of her!"

"A new spell, huh?" Kurumu replied with a grin of her own. "Guess all that mass that should've gone to your chest went to your brain, instead."

Ignoring the jab, for the moment, Yukari readied her wand. "Yukari Special," she intoned. "Summoning Surprise!"

A silent, pitch-black portal opened above and slightly behind the yuki-onna, who was still quietly watching the target of her adoration. Yukari's eyes widened to saucer-sized proportions, something had gone terribly wrong with her spell, this wasn't supposed to happen!

"What's wrong, Little Miss Genius?" Kurumu teased. "You look like someone just hit you with a cattle prod."

"My spell's not supposed to do that," Yukari said quietly, a hint of fear in her voice. "A portal like that only opens if a witch is summoning something _living_!"

As the last word left her mouth, something fell through the portal and it slammed shut. A young man landed on the ground, face-first. Rushing to the scene, all discretion forgotten, Yukari and a very surprised Kurumu and Mizore looked at who'd fallen through. He was still breathing, thankfully, and was clad in a long, brown robe-like coat, under which he was wearing baggy, orange pants and a long-sleeved shirt of the same colour, his brown leather boots were firmly planted in the ground, as was the rest of him. Turning him over gently as Tsukune and Moka rushed over to see what the commotion was, they saw a surprisingly young face, covered in dirt from his fall, with shoulder-length, brown hair.

"What was that?" Tsukune asked, alarmed at the massive thud he'd heard.

"I was..." Yukari began hesitantly. "I was trying to play a prank on Mizore with a new spell I made, and I accidentally summoned this guy, instead."

"Who is he-?" Moka began as the young man groaned and coughed.

"What the hell?" he said, wiping his face and opening his eyes and seeing several young women staring at him. "Whoa, um...what's going on here?"

Thinking quickly, Yukari asked, "Can you tell us your name?"

"Jacob," the Adept said, slowly raising an eyebrow. "Jacob Friedrich, Adept of the Second Luminary Order. Where am I? What happened?"

"I, um, may have accidentally summoned you," Yukari admitted, scratching her head nervously.

"This is some kind of prank, isn't it, an illusion?" Jacob said as he charged a pulse of Argia and Ykri power and sending it into the surrounding area. To his surprise, nothing happened. "It's not an illusion," he said, his eyes growing wider.

"What was that you just did?" Moka asked, shivering. "That silver light?"

"That was _supposed_ to dispel this elaborate deception," Jacob said, the reality of his situation dawning on him. "Wait...you mean to tell me you don't know chromamancy when you see it? Where, exactly, am I? What world did I get dragged to?"

"Chromamancy?" Yukari asked, dumbfounded. "I've never heard of that kind of magic before. Are you _sure_ you're alright?"

"I will be in a minute," Jacob said, channeling a small amount of Kurauri energy throughout his body, causing the scrapes and bruises to disappear. "That's better," he said with a relieved sigh, the aches and pains dissipating.

"It was purple, that time!" Yukari said in an oddly excited tone.

"Magenta," Mizore quietly corrected before seeing the bemused faces of her new friends, asking, "What?"

"I really hate to kill the mood," Jacob said, sitting up. "But, can you send me back home? I have my Mastery examination next week, and I really need to study."

Yukari winced. "I don't know if I can," she said, quietly embarrassed.

"Why not?" Kurumu demanded. "Just cast that spell again!"

"It's not that simple, you buxom buffoon!" Yukari answered angrily. "If I just cast the spell again, I could pull someone, or some _thing_ , else from his world! I have no way of knowing what the results would be! It's not a simple matter of just reversing the spell, I wouldn't even know where to _begin_ looking to find a way to undo this! The spell was just supposed to _materialize_ something random, not bring something from another world!"

"Great," Jacob said, shaking his head. "Then again, I guess it couldn't get much worse than where I was before. I was almost done with my academy days, anyway, thankfully."

"Excuse me," the group heard behind them. "Miss Sendo?"

"M-Miss Nekonome!" Yukari stammered, heart pounding. "What a pleasant surprise, what brings you here?"

"Headmaster Mikogami is requesting your presence," Miss Nekonome said, frowning slightly. "As well as that of your...how'd he put it? 'New Friend?'"

"Oh no," Yukari said, her anxiety increasing dramatically as Tsukune and the others helped Jacob up.

"Is your friend able to walk?" Miss Nekonome asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," Jacob said as he got to his feet and dusted himself off. "Thank you for asking."

"Any time," Miss Nekonome said in a friendly tone. "Follow me, please."

As they walked, Yukari moved close to Jacob, the young witch burning with shame. "I'm really sorry," she whispered. "I had no idea my spell would do that, honest!"

"I believe you," he whispered back. "Like I said, this place can't be worse than where I came from. I had more conversation in the past few minutes than I have in the past four years."

Yukari looked up at Jacob with a mixture of pity and understanding. Until she met Tsukune and Moka, she was lonely, herself. Almost no one had so much as given her the time of day until she came to Yokai Academy and, even then, only after she'd spent a good deal of time antagonizing the older, less intelligent students. The trio rounded the corner and were standing in front of a set of large, wooden double doors. Next to them, on a wooden plaque, read the word "Headmaster." Without a word between them, Miss Nekonome opened the doors and walked into the room, the Witch and Adept trailing just behind her.

The Headmaster's office was a dark, but spacious area lit by only a few candles and the natural light coming in from the large window behind the Headmaster's desk. At the seat was a man clad in a white, hooded robe that obscured almost all of his face, with the exception of his mouth. The door, of its own accord, closed shut behind them.

"I hear, Miss Sendo," the Headmaster began, causing Yukari to practically jump out of her skin. "That you performed a spell today which summoned this young man to our world. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"It's my fault!" Yukari cried, practically throwing herself to the floor as she bowed. "I made a new spell and tried to use it to prank one of my friends, I had no idea that it'd backfire so badly!"

"Wait a minute," Jacob said, eyebrow raised. "How'd you find out so quickly, sir? I mean, I haven't even been here ten minutes, and I doubt this school's gossip network is _that_ fast."

He could feel the Headmaster's gaze shift to him invisibly beneath the hood. "I am aware of many things," he said simply before turning back to Yukari. "I am also aware, Miss Sendo, that this was not your intent. However, the fact of the matter remains that you performed magic that was, at best, experimental without a clear understanding of what its results would be. That the results were not more dangerous than they appear to have been is fortunate, but you must realize the gravity of what you have done."

"I do, sir!" Yukari said, her bow unflinching. "Just, please, don't expel me! I'll take whatever punishment you deem necessary, but just please, don't ask me to leave Yokai!"

"I would not be so hasty," the Headmaster said slowly. "As to expel you. Not on a first offense, at any rate. As it is, I believe serving two weeks of detention after class with Miss Nekonome here will suffice to get my point across. There is, however, another matter."

"What to do with me," Jacob said in resignation.

"Indeed," the Headmaster replied. "I am, unfortunately, unaware of any way to send you back home. I can't send you into the human world you know nothing about while you're aware of this school's existence. That leaves only one option available, for the time being," his head raised an inch, the tip of his nose now visible. "I am hereby enrolling you at Yokai Academy as an...exchange student. Miss Nekonome," the Headmaster continued, turning to the cat-eared teacher. "Does your class have room for one more?"

"I've got plenty of room," Miss Nekonome said, a mixture of curiosity and joy in her voice. "I'd be glad to take him in with Mr. Aono and the others."

The Headmaster nodded and turned back to Jacob. "Is this acceptable to you?" he asked.

"I don't see how I have much of a choice," Jacob said with a sigh. "I assume I'll be living on-campus?"

"That you will."

"Then, I guess my situation could be a lot worse," Jacob replied, rubbing the side of his head. "Either way, thank you, Headmaster," he added with a bow, almost mimicking Yukari.

"You are most welcome," the Headmaster said, turning to Miss Nekonome. "I believe it would be best if you took Miss Sendo for her detention now, Miss Nekonome."

"But, who's going to show this young man to his room?" she responded, her ears twitching.

A faint grin found its way on to the Headmaster's lips as he pointed to the door, which flew open, revealing Tsukune and his friends, now in a state of shock and mild panic.

"Mr. Aono," the Headmaster said in a mildly amused tone, throwing him a key with a tag on it. "You are to escort our newest student to his dormitory."

"Y-yes sir!" Tsukune said, sweating bullets at being caught out.

"You are all dismissed," the Headmaster said with a small nod.

Yukari looked back, regretfully, at Jacob, an apologetic expression on her face, as she split with the group, following Miss Nekonome to her first day of detention. Jacob rubbed his temples, sighing. He had no idea what was happening in his life, anymore. Falling into a strange world, meeting weird people, being made a student at a boarding school, it was all coming so fast that his head was spinning by the time the group made their way outside.

"So," Kurumu began, moving closer to the newcomer. "You've told us your name, I guess we should introduce ourselves, I'm Kurumu Kurono."

"Oh yeah," Tsukune said, slapping himself on the forehead. "I knew I was forgetting something, sorry! I'm Tsukune Aono."

"And I'm Moka Akashiya," Moka said brightly.

"Lastly," Kurumu said, nodding towards Mizore. "The quiet little Ice Princess over there is Mizore Shirayuki."

"Thanks," Jacob said awkwardly. "It's...it's nice to meet you all."

"I really hope we get to be friends," Moka said happily. "I mean, if you want to. You seem nice."

"Wait," Jacob said, visibly taken aback. "What?"

"Would you like to be friends with us?" Tsukune offered as Moka shifted awkwardly.

"You want to be friends with me?" Jacob repeated, dumbstruck.

"Why not?" Moka said with a smile. "You might not know us well now, but I'm sure we could become friends!"

Jacob was now officially confused. He'd never had someone so bluntly offer to be his friend. The fact they were so genuine about it was shocking, and he had a hard time truly processing what was being offered. Friends. Friendship. A few minutes in another world, and he already had people offering to be his friends. This did not make sense. He knew what friend material was and he was certainly not it, the constant rejection the other Luminary students heaped on to him demonstrated that fact quite well. Then again, these people weren't from his academy. They were genuine.

"I," Jacob began, still struggling to process what was happening. "I...I'd like that. This is just...it's a lot to take in."

"That's okay," Tsukune said in a reassuring tone. "I know how you feel. I was really overwhelmed when I first came to Yokai Academy. But, I met Moka and she became my first real friend here. Since then, I've made friends with Kurumu, Yukari, Mizore, and we're all part of the Newspaper Club now."

"You should really join!" Kurumu said with a smile. "We could always use more reporters."

"Or another editor," Mizore said quietly. "I can't be the only one correcting all your errors, after all, Kurumu."

"What was that?" Kurumu said hotly. "You got somethin' to say to me, Snow Girl?"

"Just that your writing skills need work," Mizore replied simply.

"You take that back!" Kurumu said, her face turning pink with outrage. "My writing's awesome!"

"Calm down," Tsukune said with a nervous laugh. "I don't think Mizore said it to antagonize you, Kurumu."

"Don't think this is over, Ice Princess," Kurumu said with a light growl.

Jacob raised an eyebrow. These people were really strange.

"Say," Kurumu started, looking at Jacob. "What's a...a, what'd you call it? 'Luminary Order?'"

"We're a group dedicated to the study and development of chromamancy," Jacob said, repeating the line he'd had drilled into him his first year. "The Second Luminary Order was founded seven generations ago after an invasion of our world. Aspiring students join the order as Novices, and have to make their way through the ranks of Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman, and Adept before they're allowed to take the exam to become certified as a Master of chromamancy."

"You said you were about to sit that exam, didn't you?" Moka asked, intrigued.

"That I was," Jacob said with a nod. "I'd already forged my Connection, I just needed to prove that I knew how to use it."

"Connection?" Tsukune asked. "Connection to what?"

"To the Plane of Light," Jacob responded. "The source of all chromic power."

"So, you aren't naturally connected to your power?" Mizore asked, turning to Jacob.

"Yes and no," Jacob replied, scratching his face. "It's...complicated. While living beings naturally have the sixteen crystal elements within them from birth, they aren't properly connected to the Plane of Light, and the Connection isn't forged until late into your Adept training. Before then, one typically draws lumen energy from the sun and moon, natural sources of abundant light."

"It certainly sounds complicated," Kurumu said with a slight wince. "How do you keep this all straight in your head? I mean, 'sixteen crystal elements?' How do you memorize them all?"

"By their effects," Jacob explained. "For example, the magenta light you saw me use was Kurauri, and its power is capable of healing and regenerating living things. The pulse you saw me use was a mixture of Ykri, light gray, and Argia, silver, surprise and flux, which can dispel most any magical illusion. Another good example is pink, Ruzova."

"What's that do?" Kurumu asked as they passed a wooded area with numerous large rocks.

"Let me show you," Jacob said, pausing and turning, walking to a particularly large boulder. Channeling a mixture of Ruzova and Tahara into his body, he grasped the boulder with one hand and, effortlessly, lifted it above his head and held it there for several seconds before placing it back into the hole it'd left in the ground.

"Whoa," Tsukune said, amazed. "That's awesome!"

"Wait a sec," Kurumu said, eyes wide. "This pink element, Rose or whatever, makes you super strong?"

"Ruzova is the element of strength," Jacob enumerated as he walked back. "I had to mix it with a bit of Tahara, the element of harmony, to get it to harmonize with my body properly, but it can amplify my strength by a great deal, depending on how much power I shunt into my body."

"Is there any limit to what this chromamancy stuff can do?" Kurumu asked as they neared the boys' dorm.

"There is," Jacob replied with a nod. "If I use too much power at once, I could burn myself out, basically damaging my Connection in a way that can only be healed with adequate rest and time. If I use too much at once, I could end up rupturing my Connection and destroying myself. I can strengthen my Connection with use, but I have to be careful. I've seen a few other Adepts burn themselves out, and I've heard them say it's like having your insides set on fire."

"Jeez," Kurumu said, visibly taken aback. "That's crazy."

"It's one of the reasons so many Adepts in my world use their power for mundane tasks like cooking and whittling," Jacob stated. "It works a lot like exercise: even small amounts of it can help make you stronger. Using your power for small tasks that you do every day makes your Connection stronger, bit by bit, and you're able to utilize more and more power."

"Well," Tsukune said as they reached the door to the boys' dorms. "Looks like we're here."

"I guess we'll see you guys later," Moka said awkwardly.

"Oh come on, Moka," Kurumu said throwing an arm around the young woman's shoulder. "I doubt they'll care if we're just in the hallway."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Mizore said quietly, a small blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Well, I mean," Moka began, shuffling in embarrassment. "It's the boys' dorms..."

"It'll be okay, Moka," Tsukune said kindly. "Besides, I think Jacob here would like the company."

"It hasn't bothered me, yet," Jacob allowed with a small smile. "I doubt it will anytime soon."

"If you say so," Moka said with a hesitant sigh before looking at Tsukune and going a bit pink.

"Huh," Tsukune said as they walked in, looking at Jacob's key. "Looks like your room is right across the hall from mine, that's convenient."

As they walked, Jacob got the feeling that he was being watched. Out of his periphery, he could see other students staring at him, their noses twitching. He was almost certain he heard a whispered comment about how he smelled like a human. He thought it odd that they'd notice or even care, but given the rather insane day he was having, he let it slide until he could speak privately with one of his...friends. That word still seemed so weird, to him.

"Here you are," Tsukune said, handing the key to Jacob and nodding towards the door adorned with a small plaque that already bore his name.

Unlocking the door and opening it, Jacob saw that his room was rather bare, not to mention unfamiliar.

"Man, they couldn't make this room more boring if they tried," Kurumu observed.

"All the empty boys' dorms are like this," Mizore said simply. "I think it's so their occupants have plenty of space to make it their own."

"Wait," Jacob said, turning towards Mizore. "How do you know that? I mean, I assume the building across from this one is the girls' dorms, so how would you know what an empty boy's dorm looks like?"

"I duck into them when I'm watching Tsukune," Mizore said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"She's a stalker," Kurumu whispered into Jacob's ear.

"I gathered as much," Jacob said, raising an eyebrow. "Still, I guess it could be a lot worse, so long as she doesn't steal his garbage. I knew a girl who did that to a guy once. Needless to say, when he found out, he was...decidedly _not_ happy."

Just then, Kurumu's stomach let out a low rumble. "Aw man," she said, running a hand down her stomach. "I completely forgot about dinner, I'm starving! You guys wanna go grab something before the cafeteria closes?"

"After all of today's excitement," Tsukune began with an awkward laugh. "I'm getting kind of hungry, too."

"Then, it's settled," Kurumu said with a clap. "Let's go grab something to eat! Yahoo-hoo!"

Jacob closed and locked his door. He would deal with decor later. As it was, he was more than a little hungry, himself. He'd completely forgotten about time in the library, and his body was now soundly punishing him for skipping lunch, his stomach violently rebelling against its empty state, almost as if it were wanting to escape his body and hunt for food on its own. He laughed at the notion inside before catching himself. How long had it been since he'd done that? Months, at least. For that matter, had he ever been around people and been this comfortable? Wracking his brain, he couldn't find an instance in his life where that had been the case. People had always made him uneasy, but these people...the way they'd practically shoved themselves into his life, he ought to have protested, but he couldn't bring himself to countenance the thought, now. It was a strange feeling, acceptance. Jacob smiled. Maybe this accident would turn out to be a happy one. He'd already enjoyed the company of others longer in the short time he'd been in this world than the entirety of his academy years. He was shaken out of his thoughts by a voice coming from behind them as they walked outside, one he recognized.

"Hey, guys, wait up!" Yukari called, running towards them.

"Well, that was quick," Kurumu said with a laugh. "I expected you to stay there until bedtime!"

"How was it, Yukari?" Tsukune asked as they welcomed their friend back.

"It was a lot better than I thought," Yukari replied with a heavy sigh. "I got off _really_ easy. As it was, Miss Nekonome assigned me a twenty page paper on techniques to blend in the human world due when my detention's over."

"Yeesh," Kurumu said with a wince. "That's a lot of writing."

"Compared to what I did," Yukari said, looking at Jacob apologetically. "I'll take it over being expelled, any day. Jacob," she continued, her tone full of regret. "I'm really, _really_ sorry about all this! I promise, I'll find a way to get you back home."

"Please, don't," Jacob said with a heavy sigh. "I don't want to go back. Call it crazy, but I'm already liking this place better than the academy," he continued, lowering his voice to a whisper. "At least, here, people _talk_ to me."

"Are you sure?" Yukari asked as they neared the cafeteria.

"I'm sure," Jacob replied, running his hands through his hair. "I'm pretty much a Master, already, I'm certain I'd have passed my examination without much trouble. The teachers there were alright, but...distant. I don't really have anything to go back to."

"Okay," Yukari said, unsure. "If you ever change your mind, let me know, and I'll do whatever I can to help. It's the least I can do."

"Thanks, Yukari," Jacob said with a nod. "I appreciate it."

The group split up momentarily when they entered the spacious cafeteria, and Jacob decided to just follow the one closest to him at the time: Mizore. The blue-haired young woman wasn't very talkative, but she didn't seem to mind his company. Always seemed to keep at least one eye on Tsukune, though.

"Hm?" Mizore said, turning to see Jacob behind her. "Why are you following me?"

"Honestly," Jacob said, shrugging awkwardly. "I just picked at random. Everyone seems to be going to their own thing, and I really don't know what this school's got in the way of food."

"I guess that makes sense," Mizore replied with a quick tilt of her head. "I'm heading to where they keep all the cold stuff."

"Sounds good," Jacob said, trying to shake the feeling that he was putting her out. "I...I hope you don't mind if I join you there. I like cold food, too, and well...look, I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable. I really did just choose at random."

"Huh?" Mizore said, turning to face Jacob fully. "Why would I be uncomfortable? Just don't block my view of Tsukune and we'll be fine."

"Just, I know it's kind of weird having someone follow you," Jacob said, hanging his head in shame. "I don't know where I'm going, around here, and I...I have a problem asking people for things."

"I don't mind," Mizore said, raising an eyebrow. "You're not in the way."

"Okay," Jacob said with another heavy sigh. "I hope they have something massive, I'm famished."

Walking over to the serving area, Jacob saw trays laden with a great deal of frozen confections. As Mizore picked up a particularly delectable-looking parfait, Jacob loaded a plate down with chilled fish and some odd, cold, round rice things wrapped in some strange, black plant. He had no idea what the latter was, but it smelled good and his teeth were almost grinding in anticipation as he made his way, just behind Mizore, to the table where the others were seated. As he sat down, Yukari gave him an odd look.

"Man," she said, her tone slightly awed. "That's a lot of food, Jacob. Does using your magic make you hungry really fast?"

"Oh, no," Jacob replied with an awkward laugh. "Just...your spell caught me around dinnertime and, well, I'd completely forgotten time in the library and accidentally missed lunch."

"I'm sorry," Yukari said quietly.

"Stop it," Jacob said in as friendly a tone as he could manage after downing several bits of cold fish. "It's not your fault, you had no way of knowing what'd happen. I already said you pretty much did me a favour, stop beating yourself up. If you really wanna repay me," he continued, holding up one of the strange rice things. "You can tell me what these are."

"You don't have sushi where you come from?" Yukari asked, slightly shocked. "Man, now I really _do_ feel bad for you. Just eat it in one bite, I bet you'll like it."

"No time like the present," Jacob said, popping the bit of sushi into his mouth.

His eyes went wide. This was _very_ good. The rice had a sweet, yet slightly vinegary taste to it, and the crunchy vegetables inside paired well with the bit of fish. The beast in his gut demanded more as he swallowed, and he happily obliged, popping another into his mouth.

"So," Tsukune said as Jacob swallowed his food. "What do you think?"

"That your world has better food than mine," Jacob said with a small laugh. "It's like something I'd make for myself, except better."

"You know how to cook?" Moka asked Jacob, intrigued.

"Basic food preparation was a required course at the academy," Jacob said after taking a large swig from his glass of water. "It was a good way to practice fine-tuning our control over crystal energy and life skills have been an important part of the curriculum since the academy was founded"

"Why'd you stay at that academy if you didn't like being there?" Kurumu asked suddenly.

"I didn't really have much choice," Jacob said with a shrug, finishing his plate. "Not many places are willing to take in orphans, where I come from, they just don't have the facilities."

Kurumu gulped. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-" she said before Jacob put a hand up.

"It doesn't bother me," Jacob said, shaking his head. "At least, not anymore. I lost my parents when I was really little, so I don't remember them...well, at all, really. The academy took me in when I aced their entrance exam and it was at least somewhere where I had a room to myself. Back at the orphanage, I had to bunk with six other boys my age. That...didn't go well."

"Geez, that really bites," Kurumu replied, wincing slightly.

"Well," Tsukune offered. "At least you're here now, and you've got friends in us, right?"

"That's right!" Moka chimed in happily. "You don't have to be alone, if you don't want to."

"Thanks, guys," Jacob said with a small, but genuine smile. "It means a lot. I may not have known you all for even a day, but I already like you more than anyone else I've ever known."

"Man, I'm tired," Kurumu said as she stretched and yawned after a few companionably quiet minutes. "Today really wiped me out."

Checking his watch, Tsukune nodded in assent. "Yeah, I think it's about that time for me, too," he said with a small yawn.

The group got up and exited the cafeteria, the staff in the middle of closing up shop for the day. The night air had a crispness to it that felt good on Jacob's skin. Without even thinking, he charged his eyes with a small amount of Nila energy, banishing a good deal of the shadows from his own vision. He'd completely forgotten that they gave his eyes a slight blue glow.

"Hm, blue," Mizore said, her gaze momentarily fixed on Jacob.

"Huh?" Tsukune said, turning to the yuki-onna.

"His eyes are a glowing blue," Mizore said simply, pointing towards Jacob, making the young man feel eminently self-conscious.

"Is something the matter?" Tsukune asked Jacob, his tone slightly worried.

"Crap, sorry, it's just a reflex, at this point," Jacob replied, rubbing the back of his head. "I charge my eyes with a little Nila energy when I'm in the dark, it helps me see better."

"Really?" Yukari asked in a fascinated tone, pointing toward the dark forest. "You can see out there?"

"About as well as I can during the day," Jacob replied with a nod. "The academy had a lot of dark corridors. Now that I think about it, that was probably intentional."

"Can you use that magic on others?" Tsukune asked.

"It takes a bit more power to project, but yeah," Jacob said as he waved his hand in front of him.

Tsukune's vision shined for a moment before settling down. As he turned towards the forest, it looked almost as if he were seeing it at midday. "Whoa, that's cool!" he said in an awed tone. "It really is as clear as day!"

"Do me next!" Yukari said, bounding forward to match Jacob's stride.

Another wave of his hand, and the young witch's eyes had a minor blue glow to them, as well. "Wowwwww," she said. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear it was noon!"

A few minutes later, and everyone but Moka's eyes had a blue glow to them. When Jacob offered to do it for her, she put her hands up and said, "Oh, no thank you! I can see just fine in the dark."

"Really?" Jacob said quizzically. "Is it full colour, or just black-and-white?"

"Just black-and-white," Moka replied with a small smile. "But, I can still see into the forest for a good distance. It's one of the nice things about being a vampire."

"Wait a sec," Jacob said, stopping in his tracks. "You're a vampire?"

"Oh no," Moka said, covering her mouth. "I revealed my monster identity outside of class! Please, don't tell Miss Nekonome!"

"Oh big deal, Moka," Kurumu said with a wave of her hand. "Everybody breaks that rule. I'm a succubus."

"Yuki-onna," Mizore said, raising her hand. "Or snow woman."

"And I'm a witch!" Yukari said with a small hop. "Of course, you already knew that!"

"You mean to tell me that you're all monsters?" Jacob said before running his hands through his hair. "And I thought this day couldn't possibly get any weirder."

"You're not a monster?" Kurumu asked Jacob, tilting her head slightly, an odd hint of apprehension in her voice.

"I may be a chromamancer, but I'm still human," Jacob said evenly. "Honestly, I don't really mind if you're all monsters, it's just another layer of weirdness onto the surreal cake that is this freaking day, but honestly, I'm more than happy with what I've gotten out of it, so far."

"I guess it's kind of like how witches are still biologically human, but have magical powers like monsters," Yukari said, looking at her wand.

"Just so long as you aren't an egghead like our little resident witch," Kurumu said, a friendly jab at Yukari.

"Most Luminary Adepts who started at the age I did are in their twenties by the time they're ready for the Mastery exams," Jacob responded easily. "I'm only sixteen. Of course, I didn't really have as many...distractions as my peers, so that probably contributed to my quick advancement through the ranks."

"Great, another genius," Kurumu groused.

"Look at it this way, Kurumu," Moka began diplomatically. "Now we've got one more person who can help out in our study group!"

"I guess you're right," Kurumu said with a sigh. "So long as you're good at math. I suck at it."

"I don't really know how your world advances through math for its students," Jacob began, rubbing his chin. "But, I was doing rather well in my calculus class."

"Calculus?!" Kurumu cried.

"Wow!" Yukari said, clutching her wand closely. "I've only just started with that! It's really difficult, I'm still trying to wrap my head around derivatives!"

"Great," Kurumu said loudly, placing her hand on her forehead dramatically. "Of all the people you could've summoned, squirt, you summoned someone that's an even bigger nerd than you!"

"I take it that calculus isn't on the curriculum, this year," Jacob said, raising an eyebrow.

"No way!" Kurumu said, her eyes wide. "We're just doing geometry, this semester. Calculus isn't until our last semester at Yokai!"

Jacob scratched his head nervously. He was just being honest, he'd always been good at math. Inwardly, he became worried that his tendencies would create some kind of unrecoverable rift between him and his new friends. Shaking himself, he tried as best as he could to disabuse himself of that notion. After all, if they were friends with Yukari, and she was apparently rather intelligent for being so young, or at least young-looking, then there was still hope for him. He and Tsukune bid the girls a good night as they stopped at the ladies' dorms, leaving just the two of them alone to walk to the boys' dorms.

"Don't let Kurumu get to you," Tsukune said in a friendly tone. "I know she sounded disappointed, but I think she was just teasing you a little, she does it with all of us."

"That obvious, huh?" Jacob said with a heavy sigh. "Just...I know a lot of people are turned off by people who like math and stuff."

"Don't worry about it," Tsukune replied as they walked to their rooms. "Honestly, I think you'll fit in just fine with us. I was really scared and lonely when I first came to Yokai Academy, away from all the friends I'd made in junior high. But, then one by one, I met Moka and the girls and we've had a lot of fun. It's been scary, at times, but honestly, I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it here."

"You talked about a Newspaper Club earlier," Jacob said, wanting to change the subject to something slightly more comfortable. "Is that offer...still on the table?"

"Huh?" Tsukune responded before a light clicked on in his head. "Oh, yeah! In fact, Miss Nekonome is our sponsor. I'll introduce you to our club president, Ginei Morioka, after class tomorrow. He's a bit on the strange side, but he's a really good guy."

"Thanks, Tsukune," Jacob said as they approached their doors. "I hope it's not too much if I ask you to wake me up for class tomorrow. I have no idea when it starts or where to go."

"Sure thing!" Tsukune said, holding out his hand, which Jacob took and shook with a smile on his face. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jacob!"

"Likewise," Jacob replied with a nod.

As he closed and locked the door behind him, Jacob slumped to the floor. He had no idea what was happening. Maybe he'd fallen asleep and died in the library, and this was all just a last, fevered dream before oblivion. Maybe he'd wake up and his life would be back to its normal, depressing self. If that were true, he didn't want to wake up. He never wanted to wake up, not from something this good. Fallen into a strange world, making friends who accepted him right off the bat. He put his face in his hands and curled up.

"Please," he begged, crying. "Don't let this be a dream. I don't want to wake up. Please, let this be real."

Jacob had no idea how long he sat there, tears streaming down his face as he silently begged the empty room to not collapse around him, revealing all this to be an illusion. Eventually, the tears stopped and his breathing evened out. Getting up, his bones aching in protest as he did, he removed his dirty clothes and placed them nearby, planning to clean them tomorrow. Looking at himself in the mirror on his closet door, he applied Vadali energy to his body, the cyan vortex drawing in the moisture from the air around him, washing away all the dirt he'd accumulated from his fall, channeling it into a mixture of Kitrino and Ykri, the yellow-gray light safely disposing of the filth. After a few minutes, he was finally clean from head to toe. Feeling slightly refreshed, he opened the closet and saw several sets of clothes identical to the one Tsukune and the other boys he'd seen wearing. Laying out the nearest uniform near his bed, Jacob crawled in and, before he even knew what had happened, he was asleep.

If anyone asked Jacob what he dreamed about, that night, he would tell them he hadn't a single clue. For all he knew, he hadn't dreamed at all. The next thing he knew, Tsukune had knocked on his door, telling him it was time to get ready for class. Rolling over sleepily, it took more than a few moments for Jacob to remember what had transpired, yesterday. Quietly cheering to himself, he grabbed a pair of undergarments from the small drawer near his closet, _how_ this room had been stocked with everything in his measurements was beyond him, but the uniform also fit quite well. It was real. It'd all been real! Grabbing the books and writing implements that had been left out for him on his nightstand, Jacob got to his door and, closing and locking it behind him, came face-to-face with Tsukune.

"Good morning," he said brightly, his hair still slightly damp from the shower. "Did you sleep well, last night?"

"I'm not dead on my feet," Jacob replied with a yawn and a stretch. "So, I'd say I slept well enough. Can't remember any dreams I had, though. Not that I mind, really."

"I had a dream Moka was chasing me around, trying to dress me up in doll clothes," Tsukune said with a laugh as they walked down the hallway. "It wouldn't have been half as bad as it was, were she not chasing me around with a frilly, pink dress!"

"That sounds positively terrifying," Jacob said with a joking shiver. "Though, it does make you wonder what you'd look like if she got to choose your outfit for a day."

"Don't give her any ideas," Tsukune said, laughing. "I'd probably end up in a tuxedo or something!"

"Don't give who any ideas?" they heard from behind as they walked outside. Turning, they saw the smiling face of Moka. "Who's dressing you up?"

"Tsukuneeeeeeee!"

A moment later, Tsukune was on the ground, Kurumu on top of him, rubbing her chest in his face. Jacob went red at the rather...overt display of affection going on before him. That was, until Kurumu was suddenly frozen into a block of ice. Jacob helped Tsukune up and Mizore appeared from above them, falling quietly to the ground as Kurumu thawed.

"Thanks," Tsukune said to Jacob as he dusted himself off. "Usually, she waits until _after_ breakfast to jump on me."

"This happens a lot?" Jacob asked curiously.

"Tsukune is my Destined One," Kurumu announced loudly. "I'll use every asset I've got," she added, stretching in such a way as to show off her ample...assets. "To make him mine!"

Jacob didn't really have a response to that. He knew that they were friends, but that was far more friendly than he'd thought they were. Thinking on it, were _all_ these girls attracted to Tsukune? Moka was staring jealously at Kurumu, Mizore's gaze was almost totally fixed on Tsukune, and Yukari, who'd just arrived, practically leapt on to Tsukune. As Moka objected, Yukari invited her to join in, and Jacob was even _more_ confused. In a way, he envied Tsukune. Aside from Yukari, who looked entirely too young for him to consider her such, Tsukune had drawn three attractive young women to him. On the other hand, Tsukune seemed to be rather perturbed by the whole ordeal.

"So, um," Jacob said, moving closer to Tsukune. "Is it _always_ like this?"

"Yeah," Tsukune said, sighing theatrically. "Yeah, it is."

"If you ever want me to make you invisible," Jacob offered quietly. "Just ask. Give you some time to yourself."

"You don't think I'm lucky?" Tsukune asked, taken aback at Jacob's offer.

"Don't get me wrong, I _do_ envy you," Jacob admitted. "But, at the same time, I can see where all this...attention could get a bit tiring, on occasion."

It was Jacob's turn to have daggers stared at him by Moka. Apparently, the idea of him making Tsukune invisible was an act of base betrayal. Jacob put his hands up, a peace offering Moka accepted with a pout, as if telling him to never suggest such things again. Not wanting to get on the bad side of an admitted monster, Jacob resolved to only suggest things like that while they weren't around; he had no idea how powerful Moka was, and decided it was best not to provoke her, even if he knew she wouldn't do any lasting harm. Eventually, everything simmered down and the group made their way, as peaceably as could be managed, to Miss Nekonome's class.

"Aah, our new student!" Miss Nekonome said, clapping her hands together happily. "Perfect timing! Let's introduce you to the class!"

"Lead the way," was all Jacob could say, his heart beating slightly faster as he entered the room.

"Everyone," Miss Nekonome called out when she reached her desk. "This," she continued, motioning towards Jacob. "Is our newest student! He's a foreign exchange student, so let's give him a proper Yokai Academy welcome!"

"My name," Jacob began, sensing his cue and nodding his head respectfully to the class. "Is Jacob Friedrich, and I'm pleased to meet you all."

The class' greeting was a mixture of curiosity and mild acceptance. Mentally, Jacob shrugged. He'd gotten far worse receptions before.

"If you won't mind, Mr. Friedrich, I'd like you to sit in the empty chair between Ms. Shirayuki and Mr. Aono," Miss Nekonome said politely, pointing to the empty spot between his new friends.

Quirking an eyebrow at the rather convenient location, Jacob took his seat without protest.

As Miss Nekonome began writing on the board, Mizore leaned in close and whispered to Jacob, "Could you scoot back, slightly? I can't see Tsukune completely."

Jacob couldn't help but crack a small smile at the request, with which he compiled and for which he was quietly thanked. Mizore was obviously quite taken with Tsukune. Honestly, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous of his friend. It wasn't just the general female attention he got, though that was cause to be a bit green, but for some reason, it was Mizore's fascination with Tsukune that made him a twinge more jealous than the others. Could he be attracted to her? He'd always liked short hair and blue eyes. Sadly, and more than a little ruthlessly, he quashed that notion. She was attracted to Tsukune, that much was _very_ obvious, he'd lost the proverbial game before it'd even begun. Besides, it wasn't like she'd be interested in him, anyway, even if she wasn't so plainly drawn to his friend. Inwardly sighing, he took solace in the fact that at least he had friends. Romance wasn't an option, for him. That much had been made _quite_ evident throughout his life.

"Today, class," Miss Nekonome said, tapping the board. "We're going to further our discussion on how to blend into the human world and, more specifically, how to dress yourself! As you know, human clothing follows certain trends. This can be quite difficult for monsters to work with, especially those whose normal forms don't permit them to wear normal clothing. _However_ , we can find out current trends in the human world and adapt ourselves accordingly, if we just pay attention to their media!"

With that, Miss Nekonome pulled down a shade from above the board that had pictures of people in...remarkably strange attire. Not wholly undesirable, at least in Jacob's opinion, but it was obvious that fashion in his world was very different. Then again, he'd never really been one for trends and fashion, the clothes the academy had provided him had been more than adequate. Looking up at the pictures, Jacob immediately picked out the outfit he preferred: a simple, black shirt with short sleeves and a pocket, and durable-looking, light blue pants.

"Mr. Friedrich," Miss Nekonome called out. "If you were to choose one of these outfits, which would you choose and why?"

"The one with the short-sleeved, black shirt and light blue pants," Jacob answered easily. "It's mostly personal preference. They look reasonably comfortable and serviceable."

"It seems like you've got an eye for the inconspicuous!" Miss Nekonome said happily. "While not _as_ popular here in Japan, blue jeans and a tee-shirt are considered normal attire for a wide variety of casual human functions! It doesn't hurt that they've been in style for a long time! What about you, Miss Akashiya?"

"Um," Moka said, a finger on her lip. "I've always liked woman's suits, in the human world. I just...think they look nice."

"More the executive type, huh?" Miss Nekonome said with a friendly smile. "That's not a bad choice, either, though! Suits are, while not always strictly expected, preferred during formal occasions in the human world like business meetings and banquets!"

Miss Nekonome went around the class, asking each person what they preferred and explained exactly what area they'd be able to use their chosen clothing to best blend in the human world. Apparently, sleeveless shirts were mostly expected of bodybuilders and beach goers while dresses were considered quite formal. Jacob also learned what kimonos were, and decided right then and there that he quite liked them, going by the picture of the woman wearing it that Miss Nekonome had put up. He also learned that cultural customs and dress varied about as much here as it did in his old world. Nations to the west, places called "America" and "Europe" apparently had far more relaxed dress standards than in Japan, where he learned he was. All in all, it had been an _extremely_ informative class, and not just for the reason of enabling Jacob to look normal when he eventually went out into the world beyond Yokai Academy. Slowly, he was learning about the world at large, and he was beginning to develop a picture in his mind of where he was and how he might fit into it. The bell rang, signaling the end of class and Tsukune invited him to join the rest of them on the way to the Newspaper Club to see if their president, this Ginei Morioka, would permit him to join.

"Hey, Gin," Tsukune called as he opened the door to their meeting place. "I've got someone that's interested in joining our club!"

"A new recruit, huh?" Ginei said, turning around to face them. "Aww, man, another dude? Wait, I haven't seen you around Yokai, are you that new guy I heard about?"

"Is the gossip network around here _that_ efficient?" Jacob asked, raising his eyebrows in astonishment. "I only got here yesterday."

"Hard to miss stories about a guy in a weird brown-and-orange getup wandering around school with members of my club," Ginei said, his grin more than a little smug. "Besides, I wouldn't be the Newspaper Club's president if I didn't have a nose for news," he continued, placing his hand on his chin. "I think we might have a place for you, here, but only if you get a good story sometime this week. Can't have people who don't do their fair share of the work around here."

"Fair enough, thank you," Jacob said with a small bow, something he'd learned as he watched other students interacting with upperclassmen. "Is it okay if I have help in getting it? I really don't know my way around here very well, yet."

"That's fine!" Ginei said in a friendly tone. "Just because I ask you to work doesn't mean you have to do everything by yourself! Of course, you'd have to tell me your name, too. I need it to keep roll."

"Oh, of course," Jacob said, mentally smacking himself for not doing a proper introduction. "My name's Jacob Friedrich."

"Cool!" Ginei said, writing Jacob's name on to a scrap of paper he pulled from his pocket. "So, Jacob, where ya from? From your name, I'm guessing somewhere out West."

"I'm-" Jacob began, thinking as quickly as he could before Ginei turned to Yukari, who'd just turned bright red.

"You know something, don't you?" Ginei said in an affable tone.

"I'm not on trial here!" Yukari protested, crossing her arms.

"That's not what I heard," Ginei said, a slightly predatory look on his face. "I heard you got detention for something you did yesterday evening. Actually, now that I think about it, it was around the time I heard about Jacob here being seen around campus. You can't tell me that's a coincidence!"

"What's your game?" Kurumu demanded, moving in on Ginei. "Interrogating one of your own club members! You've got some nerve!"

"It's not an interrogation!" Ginei said defensively. "I promise! It's more of an interview, if anything! A new student popping up in strange clothes, one of Yokai's best and brightest getting detention when she'd barely even been punished for attacking Tsukune and a bunch of other students? My reporter's instinct is going nuts, right now!"

Yukari moved everyone into the room and shut the door, sighing and putting her hand on her forehead. "You wanna know," Yukari said, exasperated. "Fine, but don't you _dare_ put any of this in the newspaper or no amount of werewolf speed in the world will keep me from hitting you so hard, you end up in the hospital, you understand me?"

"You have my word as the Newspaper Club president and as a friend," Ginei said, placing his hand over his chest. "Now, spill!"

"Tch, ungrateful jackass," Kurumu said in a huff.

"Last night," Yukari began after taking a deep breath. "I saw Mizore spying on Tsukune from behind a bush. I thought it'd be a funny idea to prank her with a new spell I'd worked out the day before. Turns out, the spell doesn't materialize random things, but actually opens a portal and brings something through from another world."

"You mean to tell me," Ginei said, falling theatrically back into a chair. "That Jacob's not some European exchange student, but a guy you accidentally brought here from another world entirely?"

"That's the long and short of it," Yukari said before looking Ginei straight in the eyes. "There, now you know! I find even a word of this in the newspaper, Gin, _I'm ending you_."

"Believe me," Gin said with a wave of his hand. "The last thing I'd do is publish this in the Times. People would hound this guy day and night, and likely the rest of us, too, for being connected to him. Jacob," Ginei said, turning to the young man. "I'm just going to say that you're a German exchange student and the Headmaster made a special exception for you to come here to study at Yokai because of your grades. That sound good?"

"That sounds fine," Jacob said, running the idea through his head. "But, why would the Headmaster need to make an exception for me?"

"Because, normally," Ginei said, his face turning rather serious. "Monsters aren't allowed to even visit other countries unless they're adults with special permits. Exchange students are _extremely_ rare, especially coming in from the West."

"Sounds like I'll be hounded no matter what I do," Jacob said, visibly distraught at the thought.

"Not nearly as much as if we told the whole truth," Ginei replied. "A lot of Japanese students are suspicious of foreigners, I've heard the same is true in the human world, too. I hate to say it, but I'd be careful, if I were you. Some people aren't going to take your presence here very well."

"Thanks for the heads up," Jacob responded, feeling a bit queasy.

"So long as you've got a decent monster power," Ginei said, his voice picking up some of its previous energy. "You shouldn't have too much trouble."

"My magic should be able to get me through the worst of it, I think," Jacob admitted.

"Magic?" Ginei asked, his unbridled curiosity returned in full force. "Like a witch?"

"Guess it can't hurt to tell you," Jacob said quietly to himself before speaking normally. "All I ask is that this doesn't get out. Call me a witch or whatever, but if I'm going to be accosted for being a foreigner, I want at least _some_ kind of advantage."

"Technically," Ginei said slyly. "The Yokai Times isn't supposed to mention people's monster identities, so I don't have to print squat about whatever power you've got."

"That's good to know," Jacob said, relieved. "To make a long story...slightly less long, I'm a chromamancer, an Adept of the Second Luminary Order. I've forged a Connection to another plane which allows me to utilize the powers of the sixteen colours of crystal energy at will."

"He can make himself really strong with the pink kind!" Kurumu said excitedly. "We saw it for ourselves, his body started to glow pink, and he picked up this huge boulder!"

"I assume the other colours of this crystal energy stuff have their own kind of powers?" Ginei asked, unable to help himself.

"Yeah," Jacob replied. "I can use green, Kijani, to affect nature and natural things like plants. Magenta energy, Kurauri, can be used to heal wounds and mend broken bones. Portokali, orange, is the element of fire, and so on. I can mix them together to form useful spells and abilities when I need them."

"That sounds like a cool light show," Ginei said in a friendly tone. "I doubt you'll have much problem from people out to harass you, then. The ones that typically cause the most trouble are the weaker monsters who feel they have something to prove."

"Still," Jacob said quietly. "I'd really rather not get in trouble for hurting another student, even if they did deserve it."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Kurumu interjected. "There's rules here at Yokai for self-defense. You wouldn't get in trouble for standing your ground if you got attacked."

"And besides," Ginei said, pointing his thumb at himself. "If anyone give you any trouble, you can always come to one of us! Members of the Yokai Academy Newspaper Club look out for eachother, don't we, guys?"

The firm agreement from everyone present buoyed Jacob's spirits a great deal. He was worried that he wouldn't be accepted into the club, and that he'd drift apart from his new-found friends as they pursued their own interests. But, it seemed that there were a lot more friendly people at Yokai Academy than there were at his own. Jacob rolled the thought around in his head a bit. Then again, during the last 18 months he'd spent within the academy's walls, he'd basically given up on social interaction. What was the point? The only thing he'd ever gotten out of it, when he _did_ pursue such things, were pain, disappointment, and betrayal. Looking around at the people who had so willingly and easily offered to be his friends, Jacob decided right then and there that he'd do anything for these people, even lay down his own life, if he had to. If anyone hurt them, they'd have to answer to him. He might not know them well, yet, but Jacob already knew he liked them. Seemingly from nowhere, he felt another small twinge of jealousy towards Tsukune. It wasn't hard to see why: somehow, Tsukune had ended up in the eye of _three_ attractive girls, as well as one that looked... _way_ too young to even think about that kind of thing, and had earned the friendship of someone as friendly as Ginei Morioka. Of course, Jacob understood why this was, as well. Tsukune, from what he'd seen, was a very friendly person, willing to accept people as they were.

 **Author's Notes**

Like IV, this one took…a lot of writing. Not surprising, as the chapter itself is just over 20,000 words! Yes, this is a new story by yours truly and I'm doing something _slightly_ different. While I can't list it as a crossover, for technical reasons, this story is _technically_ a crossover with a universe from a bit of original work I've been trying to get my head around. Hopefully, this should help that process a little and provide some more entertainment for you folks out there in the peanut gallery.

For those who are wondering, Jacob's power (and, indeed, the magic of his entire world) is based off of the Minecraft mod, ChromatiCraft (by one Reika Kalseki). I've taken a few liberties with how certain things work with regard to chromamancy, but I've tried to keep the core (especially the crystal elements, themselves) as intact as humanly possible while working to make things more interesting from a storytelling standpoint. My goal for this story is to have at least 20k words for every chapter, like IV and its 10k, so I have a lot of room to not only fill in with interesting events, but also to slowly incorporate and reveal parts of Jacob's home world and its history, as well as the limits (if there are any) of his abilities.

I know some folks out there are probably wondering what, exactly, happened to the timeline of Rosario+Vampire in this whole thing. Well, here's the deal: I started writing this whilst rewatching the _anime_ series. I know, cardinal sin and _very_ easy mistake to make, but by the time I'd read the manga, I was already about halfway through this chapter and _really_ didn't want to go back and edit _everything_ , because that would mean a _tonne_ of editing. So, this story takes place in a sort of mish-mash timeline that starts out more anime, but will eventually end up shifting more towards the manga timeline as the story progresses. So, no need to worry, things like Fairy Tale _are_ going to make an appearance! They were too good to keep out and I'm actually kind of disappointed the anime didn't go that route, because it was cool as hell.

Anywho, that's about it for this, the first chapter of the fic! OH! I almost forgot! There's a new thing! Head down to Reddit and look up /r/hagunemnons_stories! Yes, I have created a subreddit for you guys to talk about things and even talk about your own stuff, if you so please! Just please, keep it civil. I'd really rather _not_ have to whack people. I'll have a link up on my profile shortly after posting this, so keep a lookout! With all that said, I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Two of _The Chromamancer Chronicles_ , A Master and the Human World! Take care!

[ADDENDUM 13 September 2016]

So, here's the skinny. I'm leaving the notes for the previous version of this chapter intact for posterity. However, as Qinlongfei pointed out, I kind of goofed up making the first chapter so damned long. It takes what should be a, at most, medium-sized read and stretches it out way, _way_ too long. Thanks to his kind, yet frank input, I see that I may have been trying to substitute quantity for quality. As such, my new target for my chapters will hover around 7,500-10,000 words: substantive, but not enough to make reading every chapter a slog. It'll also let me release things in a more timely fashion, since 20,000 words is _kind of_ insane.

As such, consider this the official version of Chapter One, with the second half the official Chapter Two, with a different title than I'd said earlier: _An Adept and His Friends_. Also of note, I've begun writing an outline for this story's overall plot, as well. Again, many thanks to Qinlongfei for pointing out that _some_ of my ideas might have been a little…poorly thought out. I'll check you guys next time! Take care!


	2. An Adept and His Friends

**The Chromamancer Chronicles**

Chapter Two: An Adept and His Friends

"Hey, Jacob," Ginei called out. "Mind taking a look at this, for me? I wanna see what you think of this!"

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he walked over to Ginei to see what it was he wanted him to look at. Apparently, it was a rough draft of the article on him:

 _ **Yokai Academy Gets Foreign Exchange Student!**_

 _Yesterday, Headmaster Mikogami accepted a foreign exchange student to Yokai Academy! Meet Jacob Friedrich, native of Germany, who was accepted due to his outstanding grades at_ (look up German monster schools and choose the best one). _The newest member of the Newspaper Club, Jacob enjoys_ (beats me, ask him). _Shizuka Nekonome has taken this young man as the newest addition to her class._ (Maybe have interview with Ms. Nekonome and ask about Jacob?) _Let's all extend a warm Yokai Academy welcome to our friend from afar!_

"So," Ginei said, bending over slightly to look Jacob in the face. "Whaddya think?"

"Just tell me which school I'm supposed to have come from when you decide," Jacob said, taking his eyes off the paper. "Also, I've come to the conclusion that I rather like sushi. Other than that, I mostly prefer walks at night through orchards and coffee."

"You had coffee in your world, too, huh?" Ginei asked with a smile. "Well, looks like we've got something in common!" Ginei leaned inward and whispered to Jacob, "I'm rather fond of coffee, too."

"Best part of waking up," Jacob said with a laugh.

"Did your school have orchards?" Jacob heard Moka ask.

"Yeah, it did," Jacob replied fondly. "As much as I didn't care for the people, the academy had a really beautiful campus. Its best feature, if you ask me, were the chroma berry groves. Seeing all the trees softly glowing various colours, it was just so...relaxing. You could never really see it properly during the day, but at night, I'd spend hours just wandering through them."

"That sounds really pretty!" Moka said wistfully.

"Yeah, I felt more for it than I did most of the people there," Jacob admitted. "The only thing I liked nearly as much were the sixteen lumen beacons that formed a ring around the outer edge of the campus. Mostly, they were there to fuel the magical rituals that the Adepts and Masters performed, but the massive, towering obelisks of crystalline stone, glimmering with the light from the beacons...well, let's say there were few better places to study. It didn't hurt that you could see each of them from any point on the campus, provided you were outside."

"They must have been _huge_ ," Ginei replied, eyes widening slightly.

"Thirty meters high and eleven meters wide at the base," Jacob responded with a nod. "The Second Founder built them shortly after he built the academy. While they aren't strictly necessary to perform our rituals, they do make the process a lot easier."

" _One guy_ built all that?!" Ginei exclaimed. "That's nuts!"

"Legend had it that after he liberated our people," Jacob said, his own eyes going a bit wide, remembering the stories he'd been told. "His Connection became such that he could move continents. Several of his feats back that up, like keeping the city-sized space vessel the Oppressors tried to use to destroy our world when we rebelled from crashing and destroying most of the nation in which he lived."

"You're fucking _joking_ ," Ginei stated hoarsely.

"Not in the slightest," Jacob replied, shaking his head. "I should know, the remains of the vessel are now a thriving port city. I even went there, once, during break. It's a cool place, but also a very easy place to end up getting swindled."

"I'd hate to meet that guy on a bad day," Ginei said, falling into a nearby chair. "So, are _all_ of you capable of that?"

"No one's been able to reach his level since, and we've been trying for seven generations," Jacob stated. "Unfortunately, he succumbed to old age before he was able to reveal his secret. If you want my opinion, I think he hid his secret on purpose. As for me," he continued with a casual wave of his hand. "I only forged and stabilized my Connection about a month ago. And, if I push mine too far, I could end up rupturing my Connection and obliterating myself. I can expand it with enough work, but I've got some pretty hard limits before things start getting out of control."

At that moment, Jacob's stomach decided to growl. He guessed it was still angry with him for skipping lunch yesterday. Without thinking, he pulled a small, brown gem he'd gotten out of his old clothes from his pocket and popped it into his mouth, swallowing it.

Moka looked at him with a very perplexed look on her face. "Did you just eat a gem?" she asked.

"Crap," Jacob said quietly to himself. "Old habit, sorry," he said before reaching into pocket and producing a handful of such gems. "Ruskea lumen gems. The little ones like these provide about as much nourishment as a snack."

"Those _can't_ taste good," Ginei said, making a strange face.

"Actually," Jacob said, holding his hand out further, offering the little gems. "They taste like whatever you most enjoy eating. The one I ate tasted of sushi."

"Moka!" Ginei objected as the young woman plucked one of the small, brown gems from Jacob's hand. "Are you out of your vampire mind?!"

"Oh come on, Ginei," Moka said with her trademark smile. "I don't think Jacob would offer them to us if they were dangerous. Besides," she added, holding the gem closer to her face. "They smell kind of...good." Popping the small gem into her mouth and swallowing, Moka let out a sound in between a moan and a squeal. "It tastes just like Tsukune!"

"I don't _even_ wanna know," Jacob said, alarmed.

"What tastes like Tsukune?" Kurumu said as she practically flew over.

"Those little brown gems Jacob's got," Moka said, pointing towards Jacob's outstretched hand. "They're edible and taste like whatever you like the most. Mine tasted like Tsukune!"

"Again," Jacob repeated, still _very_ alarmed by the words coming out of the vampiress' mouth. "I don't _even_ wanna know."

"Ooh!" Kurumu said, grabbing one of the gems. "Let me try!" Popping the gem into her mouth, Kurumu sighed wistfully. "It tastes just like the rice cakes mom makes!"

Mizore appeared from beneath the desk, Jacob reddened as she passed _very_ close to his legs, and quietly grabbed one of the gems for herself, taking the candy from her mouth and eating the gem, smiling as she said simply, "Shaved ice..."

"Oh, what the hell," Ginei said quietly as he, too grabbed one of the tiny, brown gems. "Might as well hop aboard the crazy train." Looking questionably at the gem for a moment, Ginei dropped it into his mouth and swallowed. "Whoa!" he cried out. "T-bone steak! And blue rare, just how I like it!"

Tsukune and Yukari sauntered over, curious as to what everyone was talking about.

"Well, it can't be any weirder than that time mom tried to make shrimp spaghetti," Tsukune said as he swallowed the gem. A smile slowly creased on his face. "Mom's mochi," he said with a hint of wistful sadness.

"Magic food gems, huh?" Yukari said, bemused as she tossed the lumen gem into her mouth. The squeal that came from her mouth caused Jacob and Tsukune to jump. "Chocolate pudding!" Yukari said excitedly.

"How long does it take to make these little things?" Ginei asked, practically salivating.

"I can make about half a dozen of the little ones in an hour," Jacob said, placing the rest back in his pocket, much to Gin's obvious disappointment. "Ones that provide a full meal, I can make two or three per hour, and one that provides a full day's worth of nourishment take about ninety minutes each. If I want to get really fancy, I can also make ones that turn your skin rock-hard for several hours, but those take a good three hours each to make. They're also kind of hard to swallow, because they're about the size of marbles."

"Would the other colours cause different effects?" Yukari asked, buzzing at what she was learning about her new friend's abilities.

"Yep," Jacob said, nodding. "Though, only a small number are to be eaten, most are thrown. The red lumen gems, Karmir, make a temporary, but almost impenetrable shield around them when they strike a surface. Portokali creates a large, fiery explosion and Galazio, light blue, can distort time in a small area around it for a while."

"Distort _time_?!" Kurumu exclaimed. "Are you serious?"

"Galazio is the crystal element of time," Jacob replied with a nod. "Unfortunately, it's also the crystal element that is the most difficult to control and harness. It takes a _lot_ of power to produce a noticeable effect."

"I don't believe you," Kurumu said testily. "Lifting boulders is one thing, but manipulating time is just crazy!"

At that moment, Jacob appeared behind Kurumu, the sky blue glow in his eyes dissipating, much to the buxom girl's surprise.

"That heat you're feeling," Jacob said, recalling the lecture his professor had given him on this very element. "Is from my body, accelerated by the time distortion I just created. If I didn't create the proper gradient, I'd have ended up setting the desk, chair, and floor on fire."

One thing Jacob did _not_ enjoy was people doubting him. Half of his...detractors were people he'd proven wrong when they said he couldn't do something. He sat in his seat, letting out a deep breath. Exercising that much power was difficult.

"Damn, dude," Ginei said, stunned. "I couldn't even follow your moves, and I'm faster than our resident vampire!"

"Unfortunately," Jacob said, a bead of sweat dripping down his face. "Moving that fast takes a lot out of me. I can't go that fast very often without exhausting myself."

"I take it back," Kurumu said, still slightly shaken by what she'd just witnessed. "You're good!"

Jacob couldn't help but straighten his back and preen a little. It was always nice to have his hard-won abilities recognized, doubly so when it was someone who'd just expressed their doubt of him or his power. He might not have the title, but Jacob knew full well that he was a Master. Perhaps, one day, he'd get used to thinking of and calling himself that. For now, though, Adept still had a pleasant ring to it and it helped to keep him at least a little humble.

"Why'd you have to do that gradient thing, though?" Mizore asked, putting her hand up as if she were still in class.

"I think I can answer that!" Yukari said, thrusting her wand in the air dramatically. "To put it into simple terms, his body still generates heat when he's in the accelerated time field. Since he's in a faster time stream, his body heat kind of piles up in that one area, dependent on how far he pushes his time-altering ability. The further he pushes it, the more heat gets built up, and makes it more likely that he'd set his surroundings on fire. With the gradient, it gives the heat a chance to dissipate more naturally and keeps it from going straight from his own, personal accelerated time field to the normal time stream outside."

"That makes sense," Moka said with a nod. "It's like opening a valve intermittently to let off steam a little bit at a time instead of opening it fully and dumping it all out at once."

"You actually understood that?" Kurumu asked, turning towards Moka.

"I think I did," Moka said, putting a finger on her chin and turning towards Jacob. "Was Yukari right?"

"Almost exactly how my professor explained it, actually," Jacob replied with a nod.

"Man, brains and beauty," Jacob heard Ginei grumble. "I swear, if she weren't pursuing Tsukune, I'd make Moka mine!"

Jacob quirked an eyebrow at the comment. Was everyone attracted to this girl? Looking at Moka, he could definitely see it. If she were at his academy, she'd practically have the run of the place. From her generally attractive appearance, especially her figure, to her very kind and happy personality, Jacob would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that he, too, was a little attracted to her. Battering himself mentally, he wondered what the hell was wrong with him. Moka was even more plainly interested in Tsukune than Mizore. He needed to remember that such things weren't his lot, even if he wanted them. It didn't matter if he felt those desires, he'd never be able to fulfill them. Just because people might be willing to tolerate him doesn't mean he had a chance for anything romantic, or even just physical. Sighing inwardly, Jacob resigned himself once more. He needed to remember his place.

"Huh," Yukari said as she pulled a piece of paper from the stack nearby. "Seems there's been a rash of girls getting their dorms burgled and having their jewelry stolen. I guess that means we can rule you out, Gin."

"Hey!" Ginei replied defensively.

"Well, anyway," Yukari said, ignoring Gin's fuming. "You wanna look into this with me, Jacob? We can go search around the girls' dorms and see if we turn up any clues."

"Sure, why not?" Jacob replied with a shrug. Maybe a walk would help clear his head.

They left the room as Ginei started mumbling some vague protests saying he, quote, "wasn't a pervert." Either way, it was probably best to just let him calm down without the offending presence in the room. Yukari took a small lead, much to Jacob's relief. He honestly had no idea what the hell he was doing, back there. He couldn't even watch over his own stupid habits for long enough to not get noticed. Though he knew they didn't mind, Jacob still mentally kicked himself, all it'd take was one misstep, and he'd be alone again and, this time, in a completely unfamiliar world.

"You're attracted to Moka, aren't you?" Yukari asked in an oddly serious tone as they walked down the hall.

"What are you talking about?" Jacob asked, shocked and turning quite red.

"I saw the way you looked at her for a second, there," Yukari explained. "One moment, it looked like you were attracted to her, then the next, it looked like you'd given up on life. Is everything alright?"

Jacob sighed, trust him to screw up again and make it obvious.

"Stop that," Yukari said simply. "I know what you're doing."

"Huh?" Jacob said dumbly.

"You're blaming yourself for letting your guard down," Yukari said, closing her eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I don't think the others have picked up on your act, but that's the point," she turned to face him as they walked outside into the relatively empty grounds. "You don't need to keep your guard up around us, we really do want to be your friends, Jacob."

"I can't help it," Jacob said in a small voice. "But, how'd you know?"

"Because," Yukari said in a sad voice, sitting on a nearby step. "I was the same way. I never got along with people, even before I started getting bumped up multiple grade levels. They were all intimidated because I was smarter than they were. For a long time, I reveled in it. I mean, what's the point in making friends with people that aren't as smart as you are?"

"That's not how I feel about you guys at all, though," Jacob said, trying his best to defend himself from being picked apart so handily. "I don't think you're dumb or below me!"

"No, you don't," Yukari confirmed with a shake of her head. "You think the exact opposite, you think that _you're_ beneath _us_. But," she continued, looking at the young man she'd accidentally brought into this world. "You're not. Sure, you're better than we are in some areas, I don't think any of us are as good at math as you are, but we've got some things on you, as well. It all works out, don't you see? You're no better or worse than us, you're our _equal_."

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Yukari said kindly. "Just listen. I know where you're coming from, I can understand how you feel. I was suspicious about the others, too, at first. But, they've proven that they can be trusted. That's why I can be genuinely happy around them, because I know they'll be able to help me when I fall. We'll be there for you, too."

"Thank you, Yukari," Jacob said quietly. "I'll try to be better about it, just...try not to get angry if I still keep it up, from time to time. I've spent so long like this that adjusting is going to take some time."

"That's fine," Yukari said with a nod. "Just know that you can count on each and every one of us. Though," Yukari continued, some of her normal energy returning to her voice. "You didn't answer my original question: are you attracted to Moka?"

"I'd be lying if I said no," Jacob admitted. "But, I realize that she's only interested in Tsukune, I don't have a chance. Not with her or Mizore or Kurumu. Honestly," he continued, his voice dropping. "I don't think I have a chance with anyone. I've...resigned myself to that fact."

"You know," Yukari began. "For someone so smart, you can be an outright dumbass, sometimes."

"What?"

"Just because some girls aren't attracted to you doesn't mean that none of them are!" Yukari said defiantly. "Though, I do have to ask, just out of curiosity...if you could choose one of them, which would it be? Don't worry," she added quickly. "I won't tell them, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, I just want to get to know you a little better is all!"

"Probably," Jacob said slowly, thinking it over. "Probably Mizore. I mean, I've only known her a day, but...I dunno," he continued, shrugging. "I just like how she looks, I guess."

"You'd take the stalker over Moka?" Yukari asked with a laugh. "You really are strange! I bet Tsukune would be happy if you did manage to divert her attention. Less stalking in his life and all that."

"Tch, like I've got a chance," Jacob said derisively to himself. Yukari smacked Jacob on the back of the head.

"I said stop it!" Yukari demanded. "People's minds change all the time. You never know," she said, getting up. "You may draw her attention, yet. Don't drop out of the race just because you're lagging behind. There's someone waiting at the end for all of us. It may be Mizore, it may be someone you haven't even met, yet. Either way, don't just give up because you haven't hit the finish line."

"I'll try to take that advice to heart," Jacob said with a small, but sincere smile. "Thank you, Yukari. If there's anything I can do to repay you for helping me, just name it."

"Just be there for us like we're there for you," Yukari said, stretching. "And I'll consider us even! Now, let's not waste any time, we've got some burglaries to investigate!"

As they walked to the girls' dorms, Jacob thought about Yukari's advice. He couldn't bring himself to try and pursue Mizore or any of the others, but that didn't mean that there was nobody out there for him. Pushing emotion aside, he thought about it logically. Remembering his class in statistical maths, he thought about the Law of Large Numbers, and how it applied to his situation. Given a large enough population, even the most unlikely of events is bound to happen, given that its probability of occurrence is non-zero. He had no idea how many people were in this world he'd found himself in, but even if there were just as many as there were in his own, that meant there would at least be a billion or two, and that meant that, logically, there was at least one person out there who'd be romantically interested in him, if given the opportunity. Deep down, he knew that his chances weren't at a flat zero, he'd just given up on looking. He really didn't want to approach girls at random, but taking an entirely passive role wouldn't help him, either. Calming his anxious mind down through force, he realized there were more than one way to attract people. From his observations, Tsukune had attracted three young women without really trying. Tsukune didn't seem the kind to pursue female attention, in fact, he seemed quite flustered by his ordeal and how overt the girls were with regard to their feelings for him. That must mean that he'd attracted them passively, somehow. Could it really be as simple as just being who you are? It sounded ludicrous, but it had a sort of elegant simplicity about it that Jacob couldn't help but like. Maybe the process wasn't as involved as he'd thought. Perhaps he should just be who _he_ is and see if anyone likes that. After all, things couldn't get much worse than before he came here. Besides, Yukari and the others seemed to accept him as he was. As they neared the girls' dorms, a realization hit Jacob: he had something to lose.

"Let's see if we can't find any signs of people in odd places," Yukari said quietly.

"Do you think it'd be a good idea to keep ourselves hidden?" Jacob asked, keeping his voice low to match his companion. "If they show up, we wouldn't want them running away on us."

"It'd be hard to search for clues if we're skulking around the bushes like Mizore," Yukari replied skeptically.

"No need," Jacob said, charging his left hand with energy. "I can make us invisible for quite a while, probably until at least nightfall."

"Good thinking!" Yukari agreed with a smile. "So long as we can see eachother."

"But of course," Jacob said slyly. Charging a combination of Kuro, Ykri, Nila, and Karmir, Jacob waved his hand around himself and Yukari, bathing them in a quiet light before both disappeared.

For a moment, Yukari was worried that Jacob had miscast his spell, but a few seconds later, the borders of her vision had a strange light on them and her friend reappeared, semi-transparent and slightly glowing a mixture of four colours. She could make out a confident smile and a nod and she realized that his spell had worked just fine. Yukari felt much safer, now. As they walked around the front of the dorms, they spied nothing out of the ordinary. Yukari knew there wasn't a rear entrance to the dorms, but there were many kinds of monsters that could scale walls, if they wanted to. Coming around the back, Jacob took the lead, heading around the corner.

Jacob put his hand up and closed his fist, signaling Yukari to stop. Looking around the corner, Jacob spotted several figures edging quietly through the woods behind the dormitory. Waving, Jacob signaled Yukari to move closer. The figures might not be able to see them, but they could still hear them, and if they did, the jig would be up.

"You see that?" Jacob said quietly, pointing towards the figures now at the edge of the woods.

"Yeah, I do," Yukari affirmed. "Going by their height, I'd say they're boys, there look to be about five of them."

"I can't see anything else from here, I think we should move closer," Jacob suggested. "Keep quiet, though. Just because we're invisible doesn't mean we're inaudible."

"Gotcha," Yukari replied with a nod as they crept towards their suspects.

"Hold up," Yukari said as they got close enough to see the group. "I recognize those guys, they're lizardmen! They tried to beat me up earlier in the semester, before I met Tsukune and the others. Why would they burgle girls' dormitories, though?"

"I don't know," Jacob said, narrowing his eyes. "But, you think they could scale a wall?"

"Easily," Yukari confirmed. "We need to stop them!"

"If we split up and one of us goes to get the authorities, we could lose them and have no way of tracking them down," Jacob spat. "I hope the school doesn't mind us putting a stop to this, ourselves."

"I think we're allowed to stop students in the middle of committing a crime," Yukari said, moving slowly forward. "Either way, we can't let them continue stealing from people."

"Agreed," Jacob said with a nod. "We can get the drop on them, but if we use our magic, I'll have to drop the cloak, are you ready?"

"On three," Yukari nodded, readying her wand. "One, two...three!" As the light faded from her view, Yukari raised her wand and cried, "Magic wand! Golden washtub!"

Jacob raised an eyebrow as a golden washtub flew toward the first of the quintet. He charged his feet with Asveste, the lime-coloured light readying him should he need the improved mobility it provided.

"You there!" Yukari called out. "Stop what you're doing immediately!"

The first lizardman narrowly dodged the flying washtub, which exploded into a puff of smoke as it struck the ground. The five of them growled and turned to face their assailants.

"Hey, look," the leader said, pointing to Yukari. "It's that little witch that got us in trouble!"

"And her little vampire friend isn't with her, either," the one to his left said. "Oh, look, she's got a boyfriend, how cute!"

"Why are you doing this, Wanibuchi?" Yukari demanded, pointing her wand at the leader. "What do you hope to gain by stealing from girls' dormitories?"

"Why?" the leader roared, walking towards them. "Because, little _witch_ ," he spat the word like a vile curse. "You and your little friends cost me my position as Class President! Do you know how many tithes me and my buddies got before you came along? Now that I lost my position, nobody's paying us protection and we're broke!"

"You know," Jacob said, reinforcing his body with Karmir and strengthening it with Ruzova, preparing for what felt like an incipient fight. "You could work like normal people and actually _earn_ your pay. Just a thought."

"You think you're funny, dontcha?!" Wanibuchi yelled, running at them. "We'll see how funny you are when I pound that stupid face of yours in!"

Jacob stopped the first punch levied against him barehanded. Without thinking, he poured Ruzova into his fist and it glowed a threatening pink and punched Wanibuchi in the stomach, letting his fist go at the same time, sending the lizardman flying backwards, landing on the ground several meters away.

"You'll pay for that!" the other four yelled, charging Jacob.

He knew that Yukari was probably preparing a spell, but Jacob resolved to end this quickly. When the group was right on him, he charged Kitrino energy into his palm and, in a flash of yellow light, let the raw elemental energy explode, sending his assailants flying backwards, falling next to their apparently unconscious leader. Yukari stopped her casting and instead summoned ropes, using them to tie up the thieving lizardmen that had tried to assault them to keep them quiet. As Jacob pulled the five lizardmen along after they regained consciousness, Yukari sped up slightly, walking with him side-by-side.

"Man," Yukari said in awe, watching as his arms glowed slightly pink, ready if one of their prisoners tried to make an escape. "You really kicked their butts, Jacob! What was that yellow thing you used on them?"

"That?" Jacob said, looking at his friend. "That was a lumen bolt, pure Kitrino, the crystal element of energy. It's...not the first time I've had to use it against people."

"I can only imagine what the bullying must have been like at your school," Yukari stated with a shudder. "With that kind of power, it had to have been almost as dangerous as it is here."

"The professors didn't put up with that kind of crap more than once," Jacob said firmly. "It's one of the good things I _can_ say about the staff at the academy. Anyone caught trying to use their power to harm others, except when defending yourself or someone else, is punished and punished _harshly_. First offense is being held back a year, second offense is summary expulsion."

"That sounds kinda hard-"

"Miss Sendo, Mr. Friedrich," they heard from beside them, cutting Yukari off. "Why do you have those students restrained?"

"Miss Nekonome!" Yukari cried in surprise. "We caught these guys trying to break into the girls' dorms!"

"Really?" Miss Nekonome said, concerned. "I hope you two weren't hurt!"

"Not at all!" Yukari beamed. "Though, I can't take all the credit. Jacob here did most of the heavy lifting, I just provided the rope."

"That's impressive, Mr. Friedrich," Miss Nekonome remarked with a smile. "If you want, I can take these young men off your hands. I'll make sure they go straight to Headmaster Mikogami, I hear he's been rather annoyed by the thefts they've been perpetrating."

"Thank you, Miss Nekonome," Jacob said, handing the rope to his teacher.

"My pleasure!" she replied. "And good work catching these guys! I'll have to think up some kind of reward for such brave students. Well," she continued, tugging at the ropes. "I suppose I'll let you two get back to the rest of your day, then! You have fun, and tell the rest of the Club I said 'hi,' okay?"

"Will do," Jacob said with a smile and a nod. As Miss Nekonome walked away, he whispered to Yukari, "I did _not_ see that coming."

"Me either," Yukari replied as they walked back to the Newspaper Club meeting room. "I wonder what we'll get!"

"I dunno," Jacob said with a shrug. "But, whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be at least appropriate. I'd say 'worth the effort,' but...those guys really weren't what I was expecting from literal monsters."

"Well," Yukari said as they ascended the stairs. "Lizardmen aren't particularly strong monsters, that's why they usually hang out in groups, lots of weaker monsters do that, mostly for protection. Some monsters, like vampires, are super powerful...I think there are even a few that classify as minor deities."

"I'm glad I under-powered that lumen bolt, then," Jacob said to himself. "If I'd have used normal power with it, I could've hurt them really badly."

"Just how powerful would it have been?" Yukari asked, peering at her companion.

"A normal lumen bolt," Jacob explained. "Has about the same force as a kilogram of dynamite. It's easy enough to dial the power appropriately, which is why it's one of the very first abilities chromamancers learn as Novices. Anything beyond about double strength, and I'd need to admix a few other colours to keep the spell coherent enough to actually function."

"Really, you can mix them together?" Yukari said, her eyes glistening with unabashed curiosity.

"You kind of have to, after a while," Jacob said with a shrug. "Otherwise, the power requirements start quickly getting very absurd. That's why a lot of the more powerful spells use Tahara, white, for harmony and Zambarau, purple, to enhance the effects of the base colour of the spell. If you just pump a tonne of one colour into an ability, it loses coherence and dissipates as nothing more than a really bright light. The other colours help keep it stable at higher energies."

"Gosh, I wish I could learn this stuff!" Yukari said sadly. "It sounds so cool!"

"Unfortunately," Jacob replied with a sigh. "I didn't have any of my books on me when I fell through to this world, otherwise, I'd certainly let you borrow some of the books I used during my training as a Novice. They explain things far better than I ever could."

"Now, I actually wanna find a way to your world," Yukari said, half joking.

"I would...recommend against it."

"Why's that?"

"For my sake," Jacob said as they neared the club room. "The academy really doesn't take kindly to students who leave without prior permission. Young chromamancers can be quite dangerous, especially when left to their own devices. Doubly so for those who've forged a Connection, since they can hurt themselves very easily without proper supervision. They'd probably insist I come back, and...I don't want to. I wouldn't be able to stop them, but I'd be damned if I wouldn't put up a fight. You're the first people that I can honestly call 'friend,'" Jacob said with a wistful smile. "Even if I haven't even known you for a week. I won't give you guys up for anything."

"Nor we you!" Yukari said as they walked back into the Newspaper Club's de facto headquarters. "Though," she said, opening the door and walking in. "I do wonder...what's the chances of that happening? I mean, your little display with Kurumu wore you out, but taking down those thieves didn't seem to make you tired in the slightest."

"It depends a _lot_ on what I'm doing and to what degree I'm doing it," Jacob explained. "Manipulating time is an extremely demanding task. By contrast, making myself stronger or using an under-powered lumen bolt isn't a very demanding task. It really helps if you think of my Connection like a small sphere within me," he continued, too absorbed in his explanation to notice his friends' looks. "When you first form it, it's about the size of a pea. To attain Mastery, yours has to be about the size of a plum, by comparison. That, generally speaking, means you can use your powers for most purposes without putting yourself at undue risk."

"You guys took down the thieves?" Kurumu asked, impressed. "That was quick."

"It was those lizard jerks who tried to beat me up before I joined Tsukune's little harem," Yukari said casually. "I guess there were more than just the three Moka smacked around, because there were five of them, this time. Not that it was difficult, Jacob here took care of them on his own and we handed them off to Miss Nekonome for discipline."

"You have to be the most forward women I've ever encountered in my life," Jacob observed.

"Really?" Moka asked, turning slightly pink.

"I think it's a cultural thing," Jacob said with a shrug. "Where I come from, it's considered very odd for women to pursue men. If I'm being perfectly honest, though, I find this a lot more refreshing. People who are more open about their feelings and don't hide things out of fear of what others might think are far, far easier to deal with than people who waste all their time trying to be subtle with everything. It's one of the reasons I had a hard time talking to people, they annoyed me a lot with that crap."

"I agree," Mizore said, coming out from under a nearby table. "Life is so much easier when people are honest about their intentions from the start."

"Like meeeeee," Ginei said, popping up behind Kurumu and copping a feel. "So perfect!"

"Get off of me!" Kurumu yelled, knocking Ginei to the ground with a hard slap. "I swear, Gin, if you try to feel me up one more time, I'm going to spit-roast you like the pig you are!"

"What about him?" Yukari asked Jacob with a laugh as she nodded towards Ginei.

"He's just a pervert," Jacob replied, laughing. "Though, I can't imagine such a hard blow to the head did him any favours."

"You guys are so cruel," Gin sobbed melodramatically. "I can't believe you'd treat your club president like that!"

"Oh, get over yourself!" Kurumu said, giving Gin a swift kick to the ribs. "You think I don't see you trying to catch a peep through my window at night? Here's a tip," Kurumu continued, picking Gin up by the collar. "If you want to try and stalk someone, you should probably stick to your human form. Your tail's a dead giveaway."

"Is that a challenge?" Ginei asked, grinning.

"For me, it is," Kurumu answered, her eyes glistening evilly. "I could use a little practice with my throwing arm. I'm sure Mizore wouldn't mind lending me a few of her ice daggers."

"Normally," Mizore spoke up, summoning an icy dagger in her left hand. "I'd charge, but in this case, I think I can let a few go for free if they're for such a noble cause."

"Are they normally like this?" Jacob asked Tsukune quietly as the pair tussled.

"Let's just say this isn't the first time," Tsukune replied, laughing nervously. "I don't think they'll do any lasting harm to one another, though. I think the worst that'd happen is Gin would get scared off for a while."

"But," Mizore joined in, clearly bored of the small fight that was breaking out between Gin and Kurumu. "At least he's not like those three creepy guys that keep stalking Moka, Yukari, and Kurumu. If nothing else, Gin isn't a complete loser."

"Yeah," Yukari said with a casual drawl. "He might be a lecherous old hound, but he's _our_ lecherous old hound."

"And don't you forget it!" Gin called out before Kurumu sent him flying with another hard slap to the face.

"Aah, okay," Kurumu said, cracking her knuckles. "I think I'm done, for now. Let _that_ be a lesson, you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am," Gin replied, defeated.

As Jacob sat down with Gin, who had dusted himself off from his rather savage beating at the hands of a very annoyed succubus, and recounted the not-quite-as-harrowing-as-it-sounds story of his and Yukari's encounter and subsequent capture of the lizardman thieves, he found his attention wandering. Despite all their differences, both in personality and outlook, all these people still cared for one another. Even when personalities clashed, like Gin's more unsavoury attributes and Kurumu's temper, it was never hurtful…or, at least, never _emotionally_ hurtful. Though conflicts occurred, they remained friends and still quite obviously cared about one another. It was…fascinating, to say the least.

"Hey," Gin said, snapping his fingers. "Earth to Jacob! I'm losing ya, man!"

"Huh?" Jacob replied dumbly before shaking his head to free it from his reverie. "Oh, sorry, got lost in thought."

"Mind if I ask what about?"

"Mostly how you guys seem like such good friends," Jacob began, somewhat embarrassed. "Despite all your differences."

"Do different people not get along in your world?" Gin asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"It isn't so much that," Jacob said, his mind finally clicking properly into place. "As just…this is the first time I've ever seen it so close, from the inside."

"Used to being an outsider, are ya?" Gin asked, a faint, but friendly and understanding smile on his face. "I'll admit, I was used to it, too. I never really had many friends in school, not that I helped things much by being such a confrontational jackass all the time. I guess, in a way, people were as afraid of me as I was of them."

"I got shit all the time," Jacob said after a few moments and a long sigh. "Practically from the moment I entered the academy. People would mock me because I had the highest score on the entrance exam of anybody in the previous five years. They'd constantly harass me for wanting to spend time alone…"

"Why'd you stay, if you had it so bad?"

"A lot of reasons," Jacob responded, running his fingers through his hair. "Part of it was out of spite: I wanted to stay and be the best damned chromamancer of my entire class so I could put those uppity bastards in their place. But, mostly, I enjoyed learning. Even before I came to the academy, I would spend a lot of time alone, reading whatever was on hand. I may not have liked the people, but after a while, they stopped mattering…if all I had was the material, then that was enough," Jacob sniffed, smiling wryly at himself. "Or, that's what I thought."

"At least you got us now," Gin said, giving Jacob a somewhat rough pat on the shoulder. "Kurumu might joke about you being so smart, but she's just teasing ya, so don't take it personally. We might be strange and more than a little dysfunctional, but the Newspaper Club is one, big, messed up family."

Jacob had a lot to think about, after that. The rest of the day was remarkably uneventful, minus Moka getting annoyed when Kurumu started being rather…proprietary towards Tsukune. Not just friends, but a family. There were so many strange emotions whirling about in him as he walked the grounds, that evening, trying to while away his excess energy. That someone considered him like family, that people quite clearly wanted him around…the idea was as enjoyable as it was frightening. Nobody had ever treated him like that, before. They'd either kept him at arm's length or treated him like shit. The few people he'd managed to talk to on anything remotely resembling a regular basis still kept him at a distance and wouldn't come any closer. These people, though, had all but literally dragged him into their circle. They considered him a part of their lives, and they liked it. He liked it, too. Wiping away the tears that began to form, Jacob wished on everything that, if this was a dream, he not be woken up. Taking a seat at a bench near a lake on Yokai's campus, Jacob breathed slow and deep, trying hard as he could to stem the emotions bubbling up inside him like boiling oil. That was, of course, until he heard a rustling behind him.

Turning, Jacob saw a tall, young man with spiked, orange hair and bronzed skin. Had he not been clearly human, Jacob would've thought that the student near him was nothing more than a particularly detailed, clothed statue of bronze.

"So," the student said in a silky, almost oily voice. "You're the new exchange student, am I correct?"

"I am, yes," Jacob began, narrowing his eyes. "What can I do for you?"

"So polite," the student said with a mocking laugh. "I am Kazan Sanshououo, and I believe you met some of my…associates, earlier today. You seem to have hurt the pretty badly."

"I take it you're talking about those guys I caught trying to rob the girls' dorms," Jacob stated simply, getting up to face Kazan. "I only acted in self-defense. If they'd have come with us quietly, there'd have been no need for them to get hurt like they did."

Kazan laughed again, "You've got balls, I like that. Hey, what would you say to working with me? I could use a guy with guts and power like you."

"I think I'll pass," Jacob replied coolly. "Thanks for the offer."

"Just as well," Kazan responded with a casual shrug. "Either way, I need to teach you a lesson in the pecking order here at Yokai Academy. The powerful sit at the top and take what they want from the weaklings like you. You rocked the boat with your little stunt and got some of my subordinates expelled. That simply won't do, so prepare yourself, foreigner!"

Jacob had just enough time to put up a shield before a fireball, aimed for his face, came crashing towards him. This guy wanted a fight, that much was clear, and Jacob was more than willing to defend himself. Channeling a mixture of Ruskea, Karmir, and Tahara, Jacob turned his skin hard as iron and tanked the next fireball, which forced him back almost a meter, but otherwise hadn't harmed him. Before the smoke cleared, Jacob charged a lumen bolt and tossed it at the last area he'd seen Kazan. Apparently, his opponent had moved, as he heard the sound of an explosion and splintering wood soon thereafter. Forcing a large amount of Asveste into his legs, Jacob leapt high into the air, buffeting himself with his magic to slow his descent. Spotting his target, Jacob drew his finger down in a slashing motion, using his magic to gather all the electricity in the atmosphere into one massive lightning bolt.

"You've got some real skill," Jacob heard Kazan say from the smoke. "That actually hurt!"

Just then, an evil red glow emanated from the smoke left by Jacob's lightning bolt. As it cleared, the sound of a raging inferno became evident and, as Jacob landed, he saw what had transpired. Where the normal student had stood, there was now a creature, nearly five meters tall, that looked like something out of a nightmare. Its bottom was like that of an overlarge snake, black around the edge and reddish orange in the middle. At the top was what could vaguely be considered the shape of a well-built man with a reptilian face and four arms. Flames came off the creature's skin in a way that gave the entire picture an evil, almost hellish feel.

"What the hell?" Jacob demanded, both disturbed and frightened by what he was seeing.

Kazan laughed. "I, little worm, am a salamander! Those lizardman dolts that follow me are my lesser cousins."

A gout of flame, easily three meters across, shot forth from Kazan's outstretched hand, which Jacob barely dodged, feeling his hardened flesh screaming at the intense heat. Ditching his normal retinue of abilities, Jacob mixed a large amount of Asveste, Tahara, and Zambarau into his lumen bolt and let it fly towards Kazan. The extra elements had just the effect Jacob wanted, the bolt streaked out at such an intense speed that it nearly blew him backwards. The deafening blast an instant later, in addition to the high-pitched screams and curses told him he'd hit his mark dead-on.

"You bastard!" Kazan yelled, gripping at his bloodied face. "I'll kill you for that!"

Jacob threw up a shield just in time to catch the gigantic inferno that had been sent his way. The flames refused to abate, and the heat began to seep through Jacob's shield, even after he'd reinforced it with as much power as he could muster. He could feel a searing pain begin to form in his chest. He'd never been pushed this far, even against the more violent bullies he'd suffered. Just as his shield was about to break, a wall of ice stopped the flames dead, giving Jacob a much-needed breather.

"Jacob!" he heard Moka yell from nearby as Mizore's power began to freeze the entire area.

"Wha-" Jacob blurted out before he fell to his knees, clutching his chest as agony began to overtake him.

Jacob could just barely make out the sounds of a fight as he focused inwards, trying his best to will his surging power back down to manageable levels. The pain was intolerable. Jacob screamed, even as he bludgeoned himself to stay focused. He thought of the people he'd met in this world, of the newfound friends he'd leave behind…he couldn't let himself die when he'd finally found people who accepted him unconditionally. In an instant, Jacob's vision faded in a sea of colours, and everything went blank.

A while later, Jacob awoke in the infirmary…at least _they_ haven't changed when he shifted worlds. Searching his memories, Jacob's eyes shot open. By all rights, he should be dead. Looking around, he saw the concerned faces of his new friends, looking at him silently. He felt his face. He was alive.

"I'm…I'm alive," Jacob said breathlessly. "How…how's that possible?"

"Moka here felt some massive yoki being thrown around," Kurumu said, smiling as she rapped the vampiress on the shoulder. "That kind of power's only used in a fight, and she couldn't feel another source of yoki around, so we guessed that a monster was either attacking a human…or you."

"I'm just glad we managed to get there in time," Moka added, relieved. "With Mizore's help, we kept that guy from burning you, and Gin took care of him while we tried to calm you down."

"Yeah, you were screaming like somebody was taking your skin off," Gin observed. "Then, you passed out."

"Your eyes were glowing, too," Moka added, concerned. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah," Jacob said slowly. "Though, I don't know how. Everything I know tells me I should be dead, right now. I pushed myself too far and my power was starting to run out of control…I should've been consumed by it."

Jacob felt some odd stirring in his chest and felt inwards. His eyes shot open again, going wide like saucers. Without thinking, he held a hand up and summoned a massive, blue orb of light.

"What in the hell?" he asked, bewildered as the light dissipated.

"What's going on?" Moka asked, concerned.

"My power," Jacob began, summoning dozens of brilliant, dancing lights with ease. "I can feel it, it's like my Connection's gotten stronger. A _lot_ stronger," he stopped short before a realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. "THAT'S IT! It makes sense, now!"

"What makes sense?" Gin insisted, looking more than a little lost.

"One of the greatest mysteries of my world," Jacob said as the lights faded. "Was exactly _how_ the Second Founder became so powerful. Nobody since has even come close to his level of ability. That it was so simple…"

"I still don't get it…" Gin said.

"You don't mean-?" Yukari began before Jacob cut her off, raising a hand and nodding.

"The Second Founder was the leader of a rebellion," Jacob began, enumerating the facts as he knew them. "For years, he fought a guerrilla war as the last chromamancer against the Oppressors. Old stories recount a lot of his most daring raids, but only a few mention how long he was laid up after many of them. What if that recovery time was because he'd come close to rupturing his Connection? What if, each time he pushed himself past his limit, he got stronger than he would through normal use of his magic? If that's true, it explains how he, a single man, was able to stop what was essentially a planet-destroying superweapon the size of a large city, by the end of it all. His advancement was _exponential_ , as opposed to simply _linear_ , due to how far he pushed his own power."

"If that's the case," Yukari said, clutching her wand tight. "Then, how are you the first one to figure it out after all this time?"

"I'm not," Jacob answered, deadpan. "Or at least, I seriously doubt that I'm the first. The secret is hidden because each time brings one close to death. Besides, can you imagine how insane things would get if everyone knew the secret to being able to wreck entire continents? The stability of our entire world likely depends on those who know the secret taking it with them to their graves."

"So, you nearly get burnt to a crisp, and you end up getting a power boost out of the deal?" Gin asked, laughing. "Talk about a hell of a deal."

"I'd rather not repeat the experience, if I can avoid it," Jacob answered flatly. "I've…never felt a pain like that before. My instructors weren't kidding when they said it was like having your guts lit on fire…"

"You really ought to be more sensitive, Gin," Mizore said simply, giving Ginei a withering look.

"You're right," Gin said, embarrassed. "I didn't mean anything by what I said, Jacob, and I didn't mean to make light of what you went through."

"I know," Jacob said with a sigh. "Right now, I'm just glad I made it out alive. I guess I owe you guys a life debt, now. Ugh," he continued, rubbing his aching head. "How long was I out?"

"You were-" Tsukune began before a familiar face walked into the infirmary and over to the group.

"Aah, Mr. Friedrich," Miss Nekonome said happily. "I'm glad to see you've finally come to! You've been out for nearly thirty six hours, I was beginning to worry!"

"Miss Nekonome!" Jacob said, surprised.

"You really have made some good friends, haven't you?" Miss Nekonome asked, barely noticing Jacob had been saying anything. "I don't think there was even a minute where they weren't here, looking after you. Of course, given what precipitated your coming here to the infirmary, I can't say that I'm at all surprised by their caution!"

"I'm amazed you managed to hold your own against a salamander," Kurumu added, energy returning to her voice. "I heard that they're really tough, fire-type monsters. Some are even B to A class."

"Was that lightning bolt something you did?" Yukari added, unable to contain herself.

"Or that huge explosion we heard before we arrived?" Mizore joined.

"In order," Jacob began, chuckling a little, a growing unease taking him. "I'm every bit as amazed as you are that I managed to survive, yes, and most likely yes."

"I don't normally condone the use of monster power on school grounds, but considering it was in self-defense, I doubt there will be any punishment, on your end," Miss Nekonome began before leaning in a bit closer to Jacob, her face taking on a Cheshire grin. "Besides, I have to say that I was quite impressed by your abilities! That lightning bolt was like something out of a shounen manga!"

"Wait," Gin said, arching an eyebrow and turning to Miss Nekonome. "You read manga?"

"Nyan?" Miss Nekonome responded, turning towards Gin. "Oh, I guess I do! Let's just keep that a little Newspaper Club secret, shall we?"

"You won't hear any arguments from me!" Tsukune answered before turning back to Jacob. "I'm really glad to see that you're alright, though. We all are!"

"Tell him the part about how I transformed and kicked that stupid lizard's ass!" Gin said proudly. "I think he just about crapped himself at how fast I was!"

"Technically," Mizore stated in a simple tone. "Salamanders are more like snakes. Besides," she added, icily. "You act like you're the only one that did anything."

"I was getting to that!" Gin backtracked rather ineptly. "Freezing that burning bastard solid was a good idea. I'd have burnt my fur off trying to restrain him alone."

Watching the back-and-forth going on between his friends, Jacob curled up in the infirmary bed. Emotions that had been dulled by shock were all coming to the fore, now. As memory of the fight's end came back to him, he pulled his legs closer to his chest. He'd been so afraid of dying, but not because he'd be sent into oblivion. He didn't want his new friends to suffer. He feared his death because he knew it'd hurt these kind people, and because he knew it'd take them away from him forever. Unable to hold himself back, anymore, Jacob let go of everything, bawling into his knees.

"What's wrong?" he heard Moka ask him.

"I was…" he began, his breath halting as he nearly choked on the tidal wave of emotion overtaking him. "I was so scared! I thought I was gonna die, there! That I'd come to this world, known you wonderful people, and was going to lose it all after I'd just started to see that all this was real! I didn't want to leave you guys…I didn't want you to be hurt by losing me…"

Without even saying a word, the group all surrounded the young man, laying a hand on his shoulder, letting him know silently that they were there and it was alright. After a few minutes of this, Jacob straightened himself up, his eyes red, but focused. He had resolved something to himself. He would protect these people with his life, and he would become as strong a person as he could become to repay them for their kindness. They weren't chased away by his emotions, they hadn't scolded or mocked him for crying, for fearing death the way he did. They understood. Anyone that would dare harm one of his friends would have to get through an enraged Adept, first. No, that term wasn't accurate, anymore, and he knew it. He had faced death and survived, he'd fought harder than anyone he knew, pushed his abilities far past their limits and came out alive. He was a Master, now. That realization, coupled with the warm presence of his people made him smile. After all these years, he'd made it, and in more ways than one. Then, as if to break all tension in the moment, Jacob's stomach chose that very instant to let out a growl not unlike that of an enraged lion, causing everyone to laugh.

"Looks like you'll have to have more of those gems," Gin said, catching his breath as he looked at the clock. "I think the cafeteria _just_ stopped serving breakfast."

"Don't you guys worry about that!" Miss Nekonome said, puffing herself up proudly before producing a small bit of paper from her shirt pocket. "I was saving this for yours and Mrs. Sendo's reward, Jacob, but I think, given the circumstances, everyone here has earned this."

"What is it, Miss Nekonome?" Jacob asked, welcoming the distraction from his rebelling organs.

"I received permission for members of the Newspaper Club to have a little outing, some weekend," she replied, unfolding the paper, showing a lot of text Jacob couldn't quite make out and a very official-looking stamp on the bottom-right corner. "And considering the weekend has officially started, I think now would be as good a time as any to take advantage of it, once you're cleared, of course!"

"An 'outing?'" Yukari began, bewildered. "You don't mean-?"

"Mhm!" Miss Nekonome replied, nodding energetically. "I figured we'd all spend the weekend in the human world!"

"The human world?" Kurumu beamed. "You mean it? Yahoo-hoo!"

"I figured that, given all the work you've all put in," Miss Nekonome continued, putting the paper back in her pocket. "That you've more than earned it! Especially after handling such dangerous monsters and putting a stop to one of the school's more notorious gangs! You've all earned a chance to rest, relax, and have some fun outside this stuffy campus!"

"That sounds great!" Tsukune said, smiling. "When are we going?"

"As soon as you guys pack and Mr. Friedrich here is cleared by the nurse!"

"You guys can go pack," Jacob said, noting the questioning faces on his friends. "I'll be alright, I promise. Honestly, I'm more than a little ready to get out of here."

"Besides," Miss Nekonome added, turning to the eager group. "He'll have a teacher escorting him the entire time! He'll be in safe hands, you've got my word."

After assuring his friends multiple times that he'd be okay without them for an hour or two, Jacob and Miss Nekonome were left in the infirmary alone for only a few minutes before a young woman in a nurse's uniform came in and took Jacob's vitals. After ensuring that there were no long-lasting injuries, the nurse cleared him to leave and he practically leapt out of his bed. Miss Nekonome, faithful to her word, escorted Jacob all the way to the boys' dorms, at which point she told him she'd need to get her luggage and that they'd all meet at the front of the school.

Looking both ways and noticing the lack of any students nearby, Jacob washed his eyes with a little Nila, Kuro, and Tahara, and a room on the third floor lit up. Knowing that was his room, as his was the only room likely on the entire planet with a high concentration of crystal energy, Jacob flooded his legs with Asveste and leapt up to his window sill. A short burst of Asveste on the lock later, and he was in. It felt good to use his power, it was like stretching his legs after sitting for a long period. Hastily, Jacob packed some spare clothes into a bag in his closet. A quick magical cleansing later, and he was out his window again, ensuring that it and his door were locked. As he landed, Gin walked up, a broad smile on his face.

"Well, looks like someone's lively on their feet," he remarked, laughing.

"I dunno why," Jacob said as they walked to the front of the school. "But, I just feel the need to walk around and use my power, like I've got excess energy I need to bleed off, or something."

"Considering you were out for nearly a day and a half," Gin said, wrapping his arm around Jacob's shoulder. "I'd be surprised if you weren't! Lying still for that long, I'd go crazy! Just make sure to not use your power in the human world, if you can avoid it. Miss Nekonome would throw a fit and probably end up taking ya back here."

"Noted," Jacob responded with a laugh.

Jacob and Gin met the rest of their party waiting at the front of the school. Looking back at Yokai Academy, he smiled. It was a scary place, scarier than anywhere he'd ever been in his life, but he'd finally found where he belonged. Here, with his friends, with his people, he was finally at home and, for the first time in as long as he could remember, Jacob felt accepted. The slightly cool air rushed past them as they walked to the bus stop. Pleasant conversation filled the gap surprisingly well and, before they knew it, they were at the stop. Moka was practically hanging off Tsukune's arm and Kurumu was grabbing for the other. Mizore seemed torn between encasing them in ice or just ignoring them and all Yukari could do was laugh. Maybe things were finally taking a turn for the better. Perhaps, these people would fill the hole that had been vacant for so long.

 **Author's Notes**

Fessing up time: my first chapter was way, _way_ too damned long, as I said in the addendum to the AN for it. Thus, I've chopped it in two, making it less of a slog to read. Expect chapters to be shorter than my initial stated target (7.5k-10k) so they aren't so long you get bored, but not so short that almost nothing happens. As such, Chapter Three (whose title hasn't changed) will be what I had planned as the second chapter, and everything else should, hopefully, proceed as normal. I'll see you guys on the next actual chapter of _The Chromamancer Chronicles_! Take care!


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